Scholarship Honors Her Best Friend

Events Raise Funds In Girl's Memory

WISE — J.J. Kelly High School sophomore Sarah Helton was just 10 when her best friend, Candace Rakes, died in a car crash during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Five years later, Sarah still vividly recalls when she learned Candace and her father, Gary Rakes, had lost their lives.

"I came home from my grandmother's in Bristol, and my mom and dad checked the phone messages as they usually did," Sarah said.

The message was from a family friend who informed the Helton family about the collision. But the message said only that Candace's father had died, Sarah said. There was no information about Candace's condition.

"About five or 10 minutes later, the phone rang," Sarah said. "Mom picked it up and told me Candace had died."

The next year was difficult for Sarah because she and Candace spent a lot of time together, she said. Both girls played basketball for the local elementary school league but were on different teams.

Sarah, with some help from her family and Candace's mother, Jennifer, decided to look for a way to honor her friend.

Creating a scholarship in Candace's name seemed to be the best way to remember her, Sarah said. So she went to work raising money to endow the scholarship.

The first event, a walkathon, took place about a year after Candace's death, Sarah said. The event proved successful.

She said many people took time to raise money for the event, which was held at the University of Virginia's College at Wise.

The next fund-raiser was a basketball tournament that also drew a large crowd and numerous teams, Sarah said.

This year, Sarah helped organize a Round Robin Jamboree that featured teams from all across southwest Virginia. It also was a big success, she said.

All told, Sarah has helped raise $33,000 for the scholarship fund. But she's quick to say she didn't do it alone. She credits her dad, Ron Helton, and her twin sister, Rachel, for helping. But it's hers and Candace's mothers who get the most credit for the scholarship's success, Sarah said.

"It's really mom and Jennifer who get everything going," she said. "I just help."

Sarah said she's thankful for all the people who provided the financial support.

"It was just something I wanted to do for her," Sarah said. "We really had a lot of community support. A lot of people helped out."

Sarah said it's gratifying to know that the work gives students the chance to go to college.

"It's a good feeling," she said.

The fund-raising activities give Sarah a chance to remember the good times she had with Candace, she said. When asked what she remembers most about her friend, Sarah said it was her smile.